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E. MAERT ENS. PROGESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING TEXTILE FIBERS.

No. 509,351. Patented m m, .1893. is

(No Model.)

14 Sheets-S11eet 3. E. MARE-TENS. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING TEXTILE FIBERS.

Patented Nov; 21, 1893.

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14 Sheets-,Sheet 4.

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B. MAERTENS PROCESS 03 AND APPARATUSTOR TREATING TEXTILE FIBERS.

Patented Nov. 21

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WM 2/ Native 5 (No Model.) 7 14 SheetsSheet 5.

' E. MABRTENS. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING TEXTILE FIBERS.

Patented Nov. 21, 1893.-

(No Model.) 14 Sheets-Sheet. 6.

1-]. MAERTENS. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING TEXTILE FIBERS.

. Patnted Nov'. '21 1893.

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14 Sheets-Sheet 8'.

(No Model.)-

. E. MAERTENS.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING TEXTILE FIBERS.

No. 509,351. Patented Nov. 21'; 1893.

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E. MAERTENS.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING TEXTILE FIBERS.

No. 509,351. Patented Nov 21, 1893.

INVENTEIFL 14 SheetsSheet 10. E. MAERTENS. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR'T-REATING TEXTILE FIBERS.

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No. 509,351. Patented Nov. 21, 1893.

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E. MAERTBNS. PROCESS-OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING TEXTILE FIBERS.

.No. 509,351. Patented Nov. 21, 1893.

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(No Model.)

14 SheetsSheet 12. B. MAERTENS.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS EoE TREATING TEXTILE EIBEEs.

Patented N04v.21,1898.

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E.MAEETENS. v PROUESS OF AND APPARATUS EOE TREATING TEXTILE EIBEES. No. 509,351. Patented Nov. 21,1893.

TIE/"51 I kk I A ,1 %5 e i i L l WITNEESES, X :NVENTEIR- EJWLL\U (xi/kiwi (No Model.) 14 Sheets-Sheet 14.

E. MAERTENSI PROGESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING TEXTILE-FIBERS.

,WITNEESEE. INVEN'TDH 4 4 Wax/Mammy J m: NATIONAL LITHQGRAPHING COMPANY, wAanm'aToN n c.

Nrrsn STATES 'ATENT ii -Fro -EMILE MAERTENS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,351, dated November 21,1893. Application filed January 27,1892 serum. 419.4%. (Nomodell) To all whom it may concern} Be it known that I, EMILE MAERTENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus for Treating Textile Fibers; and- I do hereby declare the following tobe afull, Q clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the; same, reference being had to the accompany; ing drawings, and to letters or figures of ref-. erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In the mechanical treatment of textile fibers during the past few years, but more particularly such "operations or processes as have special reference to bleaching or dyeing sliver, roving, and yarn, the results have gen erally indicated to the operator or experimenter-the desirability of so arranging the: several operations that'they may be easily and quickly effected, thereby not only mate-' rially increasing the output during a given: length of time but at the same time being less wasteful of the treating agents; moreover, the

cost of labor incident to such operations may be also reduced if the apparatus be made sufficiently compact and accessible.- From. this it can be safely asserted that the product would be more evenly treated and present .a smoother appearance because it receives less handling.

My present invention relates to apparatus or machinery of the class just referred to,

that is apparatus adapted to chemically treat textile fibers in any form, as for "example,

sliver, roving and yarn, or even the raw material or cloth, when placed in or wound upon perforated or porous holders. After being thus mounted the chemical or treating agents, in a liquid form, are passed through the mass of material mounted upon the holder.

I would state, as indicated in the preceding paragraph, thatI am aware that textile materials mounted upon perforated holders have .been treatedwith liquids in both open and returning the treating liquids to the storage tanks.

,- The objectI havein view is to provide an aped upon perforated or porous holders, the parts of said apparatus being constructed, arranged and operated, all as more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

' further that means has been provided for chinery for treating fibrous materials mount- Some of the characteristic features possessed by my improved apparatus are as follows, viz: It is comparatively simple in its construction and manner of operation; its capacity for treating fibrous material is very great as compared with the space occupied;

the materials thus operated upon are treated with thoroughness and uniformity; samples of the material being operated upon may be readily exposed and inspected without interrupting the general operation; the facility for using treating liquids of any desired degree of solution, and either cold, warm or boiling; its provision for increasing, and diminishing the temperature of the liquid at will; the absence of steam or vapor and surface water usually heretofore inherent in dye houses; the treatment of the materials without rehandling while the latter are being subjected to either scouring, bleaching, mordanting, dyeing or other liquids, either oxidizable or non-oxidizable; the readiness with which a circulation of either cold or warm air may be substituted for the liquids for oxidizing or drying purposes, and the comparatively small amountof manual labor required in the treatment of a large volume of material or output.

In order to clearly set forth my improvements I have prepared the accompanying fourteen sheets of drawings,'which not only represent the apparatus complete as in use, together with a modification of the same, but also the several parts more in detail, that is to say- Figure 1, Sheet 1, is afront elevation showing the complete apparatus in a duplex form. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a side elevation, taken sectional view, taken on line as of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a partial front sectional view, taken ries of tanks or reservoirs from which the keirs are supplied. Fig, 6, Sheet 6, is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, taken through the center of a keir. Fig. 7, is a horizontal sectional view of the keir, taken on line a: x of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a plan View of the keirheads. Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken on linemmof Fig. 6,showing the discharge valve. Fig. 10, Sheet 7, is a front elevation of the four-way valve, or valve and chamber from which the liquids are automatically and intermittently distributed. Fig.11 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on line actof Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a transverse on'line 0 0 of Fig. 11. Fig. 14, Sheet 8, is a side elevation,in partial section, showing the heater complete. Fig. 15 is an inverted horizontal sectional view, taken on line w or: of

Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a plan view of the heater.

Figs. 17, 18 and 19, Sheet 9, are longitudinalsectional views of the perforated spools or holders adapted to receive and retain the fibrous material while the latter is being subjected to the several treating operations. Fig. 20 is an enlarged view showing an arrangement of the perforations formed in the spools barrel. Fig. 21 is an enlarged verticalcentral sectional view, taken through the lower end of the spool, showing the. manner of mounting it in sockets screwed into the bottom of the keir. Fig. 22 is a plan view of the socket. Fig. 23, Sheet 10, is a partial sectional view of the keir, showing the testing or sampling valve mounted therein, as in use. Fig. 24 is a side elevation of the testingvalve, enlarged. Fig. 25 is a central longitudinal sectional View thereof. Fig. 26 is a side view, showing the parts in the working position,-the sleeve being dropped. Fig. 27 is a side view, in reduced scale, showing the filled main spool provided with a supplemental small spool or bobbin at the top from which the material to be sampled is taken. Fig. 28 is an enlarged side View of the supplemental spool and load wound thereon. Fig. 29, Sheet 11, is a cen tral sectional view of the dye-liquor tank, diefilter, pump, 850., connected by piping, as in use. Fig. 30 is a partial plan view of the spider adapted to be located in the bottom of the tank. Fig. 31 is an enlarged sectional view, taken through the bottom portion of the dye-liquor tank. Fig. 32, Sheet 12, is a side elevation representing a modification of my apparatus which in some cases can be as readily employed for the treatment of fibrous materials. The keirs may be used open or closed. Fig. 33 is a partial front elevation showing some of the piping therefor. Fig. 34, Sheet 13, is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 32. Fig. 35 is a plan view of the inlet piping, and Fig. 36, Sheet 14, is a vertical sectional view, in partial elevation, taken on line 00a: of Fig. 34.

In the following description I shall so far as possible describe the details of the apparatus represented in the numerical order of the drawings. It is assumed that the functions of an engine, pump, valves, blower,

heater and tanks are in general well understood. Therefore I do not deem it necessary in this specification to particularly describe their manner of operation, except where an arrangement of the parts produces results which differ in some respects from the usual practice. I would further state that my improved apparatus may be adapted to one keir only, but such an arrangement isin general not so desirable as a system involving the employment of two or more keirs, because in the latter case the relative cost of the machinery, the space occupied by it and the time required to complete the treatment of the materials is less than that where one keiris in use. In the drawings I have represented a duplex system, or rather a system in which two treating keirs are used.

The first five sheets of drawings represent my improved system and apparatus as a whole when in use.

The two vertical main keirs 1 arranged as shown in the drawings are adapted to receive the fibrous materials to be treated through doors 2 formed in the walls of the keirs. The

keirs are in communication with the rotary or centrifugal pump 7 both at their top and bottom inlets through the medium of the fourway valve or automatic distributer (hereinafter more fully described) placed above the pumps outlet. The upper main branch piping 10 and its connections lead from said distributer to the top outlets of the keirs, and the lower main branch piping 9 and its connections lead from the distributer to thebottom outlets of the keirs. The top piping 23 serves to connect the distributer with the heater or reservoir 8, the latter being in one sense a continuation of the pipe 23 and discharges into the lower pipes 24 and 21 'via the valve 24 The discharge from the pump 7 enters the d'istributer through the cross22 and Valve 22 The suction end 21 of the pump con nects with one of the main lower pipes 21 and the pump is'operated by a motor or engine 26. The pump is provided with a relief valve 20 located in the discharge connections. "The overflow or surcharge passes through said valve (when it opens) downwardly into the pipe 19 back to the main 21.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, a manifold 27 is connected by stop-valves with a series of supply pipes leading from the cold-water, hotwater, mordant and logwood tanks, 0, h, m and Z respectively. The discharge from the pump may be conducted to the several tanks IIO by opening the valve 25 the liquid then passtom outlets of the keirs communicate with the sewer by means of the pipes 13, 11 and the interposed valves 11. Said outlets also communicate with the reservoir or indigotank t' by means of piping 13, 12, and stopvalves 12, and 73. These keirs may discharge into the main 24. communicating with the heater, &c., by means of the piping 9 and valves 9 and 24. The top inlets of the keirs communicate with the pressure blower 28 through piping 14, 14, air-chambers or headers 14 and valves 14. The air-chambers are in communication with an ejector c (Fig. 1) by means of the piping 15, 15 and valves 15, 15. By opening the lower valve 15, the valves 15, 15, being also open, the heirs may be exhausted Without passing through the ejector.

30, Fig. 3, indicates the dye-tank, and 29 the pump for discharging the concentrated treating liquid into the heater 8 through pipe 29 and valve 29 v The valved pipe 21 drains the main 21 and all piping below the Ts 13 into thesewer. The valved pipe 27 drains the manifold into the sewer.

The two main keirs 1 areprovided each with a thermometer for indicating the temperature of the interior of the keir; a waterglass gage 3 to show the height of liquid in the keir; a pressure gage 5 communicating with the lower chamber of the keir; a similar gage 5 communicating with the upper chamber, and a vacuum gage 5 also connected with said upper chamber. The keirs are further provided with a testing-valve 31 and a relief-valve 18 discharging into heater 8 mo, pipe 18.

The cross 22 (Fig. 1) carries a gage p for indicating the pressure under which the pump 7 delivers the liquor. It also carries an airchamber 22.

The heater 8 is provided with a water-glass S a valved pipe 8 for admitting steam to the coils, and a similar pipe 8 for letting wa-,

ter into the coils when desired. It is further provided with an air inlet at 8 and an outlet to the atmosphere at 8. At the bottom a pipe 8 leads the exhaust or drip from the coils to the sewer. The lower valved connection 29 admits concentrated treating liqtral opening6 communicating with the main piping 10, and 14, and also with a series of pipes 6 radiating therefrom and cast into the head; each pipe opening into the keirchamber by means of the series of small holes 6 These pipes and holes are arranged in this manner in order to insure a more uniform distribution of 'the liquid chargesover the entire surface of the keir. The lower head 6 is also'provided, like the upper one, with a central opening and apertured radiating pipes. The lower head has, however, in addition a chamber 6 communicating directly with the several outlets 6, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The upper face or wall 6' of the bottom head is perforated with a series of holes 6 into which are fixed a corresponding number of sockets 32 (Fig. 21) arranged to receive the spools or holders 33. The communication between the chamber 6 and the interior of the keirwhen in use is through the holders mounted in said sockets. The bottom head is provided with a valve34 for quickly emptying the keir when desired; thevalve being operated by the hand-wheel 34 secured to the lower end of the'valve-stem 34", as clearly shown in Fig. 9. The two heads of the keir are connected by the strong central bolt or stay 1;. In heirs of large size I prefer to provide them with two doors 2, oppositely located. 'It is through these doors that the keir is loaded and unloaded. It will be noticed that a sampling-valve 31 is mounted in the upper head of the keir. One or more of these valves may be used; a more detailed description thereof being hereinafter direction by forcing the liquid through thematerials for a certain period of' time; the position of the valve is then automatically changed, thereby reversing. the circulation, the result being to force the liquid'in the opposite direction through the materials a corresponding length of time; theoperation being thus continued as long as desired or necessary to complete the treatment. The distributer is provided with a chamber 35 having four nozzles n, n, n n communicating therewith arranged in theform of a cross. See Fig. 12. The nozzle n is connected with the discharge pipe leading from the pump. The nozzle n connects with the heater 8, the latter being in direct connection with the suction side of the pump. As drawn the nozzle n connects with the bottoms of thekeirs, and the nozzle n with the tops. Within the valve chamber 35 is fitted the valve proper or mov- The valve is secured to the shaft serve as bearings for the valve and stem. The front head is provided with a hub on which the worm-wheel or disk 38 is loosely mounted. A common stuffing-box 39 is employed to prevent leakage around the valvestem. The disk is provided with a peripheral notch 38 adjacent to which is secured a toothed segment 38. At one side, the left, of the disk is mounted in the frame 40, a pinion 40, a cam 39 'and crank-disk 39, the three parts last named being loosely mounted upon the stud 39. A connection 39 is jointed to the crank-disk and to the valve-arm 39 By means of a continuously revolving sprocketwheel w and worm w secured to the shaft'w the loosely mounted disk 38 isrevolved correspondingly; the latter being timed to makeone turn, say,in two minutes. The segment38 and pinion 40 are so proportioned and arranged that thelatteris revolved on e-halfturn per revolution of 38 by the engagementof the teeth, such movement of the pinion causing the valve 36 to change its position, (see full-line and dotted-line positions Fig. 12) the change being effected in about seven seconds. WVhile such change is being made, the end of the cam 39 revolves freely in the notch 38, as in Fig. 13, but immediately thereafter the continued movement of the parts causes the adjacent concave side 39 of the cam to engage the disks periphery, thereby as it were locking the valve in position until the next change is effected; Fig. shows the relation of the parts when thus locked. In these several figures the valve for the time being is represented as distributing or circulating the treating liquid (as it comes upwardly through the valve 22 from the pump 7) into the bottoms of the keirs from whence it passes under.

pressure upwardly through the perforated holders and the material or load mounted thereon and thence out at the tops of the keirs; the liquid upon issuing from the latter passes to the distributing valve-chamber me the pipes 14, 10, 10", whence it is diverted into the top of the heater 8 we pipe 23, thence downwardly through the heater and valve 24 into pipes 24, and 21, and from the latter upwardly into the suction side 21" of the pump, thus completing the circuit in one direction. \Vhen the valve 36 stands in the dotted-line position (Fig. 12) the circulation is reversed, that is the liquid then enters the tops of the keirs and passes out at the bottoms, meanwhile passingthrough the materials and perforated holders. In both cases the liquid first enters the distributer through the valve 22 connected with the delivery side of the pump, the discharge from the keirs being always into the pipe 23, or top of heater. I would state that the pointer 00, Fig. 10, indicates to the operator the direction of the circulation; that is when pointing downwardly it shows that the liquid is passing into the bottoms of the keirs, and when in the upper position it indicates that the flow is into the tops. The wing or valve 36 is made narrow, (its thickness being less than the diameter of the passages across which it moves) because for a short time after it leaves its seat in moving to the other position the four nozzles are in communication with each other, thus allowing the several differently flowing currents to neutralize each other gradually preparatory to changing their direction and thus avoid the shock or strain, such as would be due to a more rapid reversal resulting in the meeting of large bodies of liquors moving swiftly in different directions.

The heater 8 before referred to is located in the circulation in such manner between the pump and keirs that it also serves as an auxiliary reservoir wherein the treating liquor may be either heated, cooled, oxidized or diluted with dye stuffs. or other treating agents according to the requirements of the materials being acted upon within the keirs. The heater is represented more in detail in Figs. 14, 15, and 16, wherein the vertical shell is riveted to the upper and lower heads. The heater chamber is partly filled with a series of pipe coils 41, each being connected with the top and bottom headers 41. Steam and Water pipes 8 8 unite in a T 41 at the top and extend downwardly therefrom into the upper header; the exhaust or waste from the coils passes into the bottom header and from thence into the pipe 8 When in use the treating liquor enters at the top of the heater through pipe 23 and after circulating around the exterior of the coils returns to the pump through the bottom valve 24*, 850., as before stated. The valved pipe 8 admits exhaust steam to the coils for heating purposes, and the pipe 8 is employed to admit water for cooling purposes. The valved pipe 8 serves to conduct air from a blower to the heater for oxidizing purposes, and the pipe 8 is used for the escape of air and gases from the heater. 8 indicates a safety or relief valve. The valve or pipe 29 introduces concentrated treating-liquor at the bottom which is diluted with the liquor in the heater, and the pipe 8 serves to admit live steam into the heater when desired,as for example when exhaust steam is not available or sufficient in pressure. The pipe 18 is for conducting the waste liquor or overflow from the keirs into the heater whenever the relief valves 18 open. I would add that in practice I usually prefer the average level of the liquor within the heater to stand about on the dotted line 0 0, Fig. 14, thus leaving an air space at the top which acts as a cushion and in a measure relieve the piping system from excessive stains; although in some cases when the presence of air would be injuriousthe air space is omitted and the entire system filled with the treating-liquid.

Into the holes 6 formed in the bottom of the keirs are screwed sockets 32 arranged in turn to receive the lower open ends 19 (Figs. 17 to 21) of the perforated holders 33.

IIO

These holders consist each of a central laterally perforated tube cl, the upper and lower heads 33", 33, and the perforated shell or cylinder 33* fitting into the adjacent faces of said heads. The tube 01 is, as drawn, screwed into the lower head and extends through the upper head, being surmounted by a cap-nut 02 thereby firmly clamping the several parts together. It will be observed, referring more particularly to Figs. 21, 22, that the head 33 of the holder'is provided with a downwardly extending loop or eye 1) adapted to receive an end of the curved pin 1) forming a part of the socket-piece Bythis device the .holder is detachably secured to the bottom of the keir upon turning the holder axially in either direction until it rerials when loosely wound or wrapped thinly thereon; the broken line m Fig. 17, indicates the outline of a filled holder.

In some cases it may be desirable to use shorter spools, in which event they may beconstructed and arranged as shown in Fig. 19, wherein three holders 33 are mounted upon the laterally perforated central tube d; the cap-nut 61? serving to firmly retain them in place thereon. A loose collar d is interposed between'the ends of adjacent holders,

all as clearly shown. In Fig. 18 the top head 33 is represented as having the end of the in detail in Figs. 23 to 26.

tube d screwed into it; the head being pro vided with a projecting screw-threaded central outlet 61 sealed by the cap-nut d This arrangement, however, is more particularly adapted to receive a test-spool about to be described, and illustrated by the next succeeding sheet of drawings.

, The sampling or testing-valve 31 screwed into the top head of the keir is represented It consists essentially of a head or body portion 3i composed of two parts screwed together, and the vertically guided piston f backed by a spring 8. The lower portion of said body is provided with a central holef adapted in use to communicate with the interior of the keir. The upper end of the hole is reduced in diameter but being of sufficient size for the passage of an end of the material t being treated. The lower end of the piston is faced with rubber f or other suitable elastic substance, thus forming what may beconsidered a valve for closing the outlet f :A sleeve f is fitted to slide up and down over the upper portion of the head5'a stop 8' serves to prevent the sleeve from being accidentally removed. This sleeve when in use is dropped, as shown in uid from flying upward from the keir when the valve is open.

By means of the arrangementjust described samples of the material if being treated may be taken from the keir at any time without interrupting the main operation. When yarn is to be dyed or treated on holders 33 the end of the thread may be first taken from one of them and run upwardly through the sampling valve and guide g as shown in Fig.23. Now, when a sample is to be taken the operator first lifts the valve by means of the supported cord f, followed bythe drawing out a sufficient length of the yarn t; the valve automatically returning to its seat upon releas ing the cord. .The testing may be repeatedfrom time to time as desired. In order to protect the thread and also to prevent it from being drawn into the openings 6 formed in the keirs upper head I employ a circular open-ended hood g, the same being secured to and extending downwardly from the under side of said keir-head, and also inclosing the upper portion of the holder 33, as in Fig. 23.

When slubbing or-a thickvsliver is to be treated, instead of running the same through the sampling-valve I take some yarn 25 made from the same quality of stock or material and wind it upon a small perforated holder 33, its lower end being open and adapted to be secured onto the upper end, 01 Fig. 18, of the main holder 33, see Figs. 27 and 28. When thus arranged the circulation through the main and supplemental holders is the same in each. Therefore the treated yarn when sampled will indicate correspondingly the appearance of the slubbing or sliver wound on the main holder when it is spun into yarn.

By the employment of the double guide or flier g, the hood g may be dispensed with, as it imparts enough tension to the yarn to prevent it from being drawn into the kei-rhead openings.

Fig. 29, Sheet 11 of the drawings, represents a vertical central sectional view of the apparatus which I employ for holding, dissolving and filtering or straining concentrated dyestuff or other treating materials preparatory to being injected therefrom into the main circulation. 30, indicates the dye-tank and 50 the filtering strainer located beneath the tank. The tank 30 is supported by legsv 43 and is, or may be, open at the top and provided with a depressed or concave head 42 at the bottom; the latter having a circular grid or spider 44 fitted therein on top of which is secured by a ring 45 a perforated disk or strainer 45. See also Fig. 31. tween the strainer and the adjacent lower portion of the head is formed a settling chamber 42, the outlet therefrom being through the center pipe 46 communicating right and left with the pipe 46; the latter by means of the valve 46 communicating with the upper portion or space 51 of the filter 50, and also by the valve 46 with the suction side of the 'roo force pump 29, which discharges into the heater 'via pipe 29 and valve 29*, before described. The pipe is admits steam into the tank, the pipe 70' water and the pipe 70 liquor forced by the main pump 7. The filtering strainer 50 has a concave head 52 at the bottom from the center of which the outlet 54 connects with the horizontal pipe 47; the latter also connecting with the pipe 46 communicating with the pump 29. At the bottom of the filter is located a strainer 55 on which rest the filtering materials 50, as for example, gravel, crushed quartz, &c.; the strainer itself being supported by a spider 53, thus forming below the strainer a chamber 54 from which the filtered dye-liquor is distributed as desired.

v In the operation of the apparatus represented by Fig. 29 the treating material is introduced iutothe tank 30, when if necessary it is further diluted with water or other liq uid, and boiled or not; the graduated measuring gage 30 indicating at the time the amount of undiluted or diluted concentrated liquor or treating material thus introduced. When the treating material is ready to be injected into the main connections valve 46 is opened thus admittingit from the tank into the chamber 51" of the filter; the liquor percolates downwardly through the material into the pump 29, via the piping 54 and 47, the valve 47 being open, and valve 46 closed;

the action of the pump now forces it therefrom into the heater and main circulation. The tank strainer 45 prevents all chips, impurities or foreign matter, as well as any undissolved material, larger than the mesh or holes, from passing through into the filter;

'- but it does not always retain within the tank undissolved dye-stutfsintroduced in the form of thick paste, or even powder, as such materials will sometimes cake or lump-up and form specks. Now, if such specks should enter the main circulation they would cause uneven work because they, as a rule, fasten themselves to the material under treatment. Consequently the liquid cannot act upon the material uniformly at such places or spots. I overcome the objection just referred to by means of the bed 50 of filtering substances,

because the latter collects and retains said impurities, &c., until they are dissolved or thrown off by a subsequent washing. When all the liquor has been exhausted from the tank 30 it is washed out by opening valve which admits liquor from the main circulation and a stream of it is left running until it is assumed that all the soluble material held by the filter and strainer has been absorbed by the current thus induced and carriedby it into' the main circulation. If it should be necessary to add more concentrated or primary treating material to the treating liquid it is diluted by a supply from valve 1& thus making it unnecessary to employ additional liquor for dilution, beyond that already in use in the-circulation. The liquor may run directly from the tank to the pump 29, thus cutting out the filter, by closing valves 46 and 47 and opening valve 46". When sufficient treating material hasbeenintrod uced into the main circulation the pump is stopped and all valves leading thereto closed. The tank is washed out and drained into sewer 48 by opening valve 46; valves 48 and 49 being closed. The filtering strainer 50 is cleaned byopening valve 48 (46 and 49 being closed) leading to sewer connection 48% and passing a current of water under pressure upwardly through the filter bed 50; Water for the purpose being admitted through valve 47, thereby causing all the impurities and foreign matter to rise and float off through said valve 48 into the sewer.

At the same time by opening the valve 49 connected with the cross 48 and escape pipe 49 the operator can judge from the appearance of the waste wash water passing from the pipe 49 whether the filter has been sufficiently cleaned.

A pressure gage 56 is connected with the top and bottom portions of the filter 50, said connection being provided with cocks e, 6 By means of this gage the operatoris able to determine whether the flow of liquor is regular, &c.'-that is the varying pressures (if any) indicated on the dial denote to the attendant, after opening and closing the corresponding cocks, whether the bed 50 is clogged or whether the passage of the washing liquor out of the filter is free and unobstructed. It is evident that the piping can be arranged so as to let the liquor from the tank 30 run through the pump first and be forced by the latter through the filter 50 into the main circulation by simply connecting the pumps outlet with the filter inlet controlled by valve 46 at the same time connecting the bottom outlet 54 to the main circulation by a valved pipe leading therefrom to the heater.

The following is a description of the operation of the complete apparatus, and for the sake of illustration it is assumed that the fibrous material to be treated is to be scoured, mordanted and dyedthat is to say, the series of perforated holders 33 after being filled and passed through the doors 2 into the keirs 1, 1, are placed vertically in the sockets 32, at the same time looking them in place by means of the pins 1). Upon closing the doors I next open the two valves 9 and 24 thus putting the mains 24 and 21 in communication with the bottoms of the keirs, followed by opening the two small valves 15 and 15 (Fig. 1) and start the ejector 6, thus producing a partial vacuum in the said mains, keirs, and also in the material or load wound upon theperforated holders 33. I then open valve 25 connecting manifold 27 with themains, at the same time opening say valve a communicating by the pipe 0' with the elevated tank 0, Fig. 5, containing (for the time being we will suppose) the scouring liquor. The latter now flows from the tank through the open connec- 

